TIME FOR THE LAKERS TO PUSH THE PANIC BUTTON
By Ron Campbell 12/12/2012
It is time to push the panic button on the Lakers season. They suck, they stink and they are terrible. They play no defense, give up a ton of points and have no continuity on the offensive end of the court. more...

NFL WEEK 11 PREDICTIONS
By Marlon Benjamin 11/15/2012Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills - The Dolphins are the 5th best team in the NFL against the run and the Bills are the 6th best team at running the ball so naturally this game will be won in the air. Miami 24 Buffalo 20.more...

AROUND THE NBA
By Ron Campbell 11/12/2012
If anybody can get these guys on the right track it is Phil. What Mike Brown was doing with this group was disgraceful. If you think about it he was 1-12 with a team full of all-starsmore...

NFL WEEK 10 PREDICTIONS
By Marlon Benjamin 11/2/2012Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings have come back to earth losing 3 of 4 after a 4-1 start and the Lions are taking off wining 3 out of 4 after starting 1-3. Lions 33 Vikings 20. Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints
The Saints have given up at least 400 yards per game to opposing offenses in an NFL record 7 straight games but I just do not believe in the Falcons. N.O. 40 Atlanta 34. more...

AROUND THE NBA
By Ron Campbell 11/05/2012
Letï¿½s get right into it last week I said James Harden would struggle, I even went as far as to say he would only average 18ppg for the seasonmore...

NFL WEEK 9 PREDICTIONS
By Marlon Benjamin 11/2/2012Miami Dolphins at Indianapolis Colts
The Dolphins are playing excellent defense while the Colts have found consistency on both sides of the ball very elusive. Miami 20 Colts 16. Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans
The Texans are in a completely different class from the Bills. Texans 37 Bills 20. more...

NFL WEEK 5 PREDICTIONS
By Marlon Benjamin 10/05/2012
Cleveland Browns at New York Giants
The Giants should take out their frustrations of missed opportunities in Philly last weekend. NYG 33 Cleveland 17.
Green Bay Packers at Indianapolis Colts
The Colts have been more competitive than I thought but even this Pack team is in another class. GB 27 Indy 14. more...

NFL WEEK 4 PREDICTIONS
By Marlon Benjamin 9/28/2012*Disclaimer - I picked the Browns to upset the Ravens 24-20 in the Thursday night game via @thehoopsforum on twitter so I start this week off 0-1. Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans
I am still not sure how the Titans managed to put up 44 points last week but I am 100% certain it will not happen this week. Houston 33 Titans 16. more...

Rajon Rondo: The GQ InternReturn of Derrick RoseNFL WEEK 3 PREDICTIONS
By Marlon Benjamin 9/22/2012*DISCLAIMER - @thehoopsforum - I tweeted this yesterday. No Bradshaw, No Nicksï¿½ I am still going with the G Men. Giants 24 Panthers 20.Buffalo Bills at Cleveland Browns
I am not a huge fan of either team more...

NFL WEEK 2 PREDICTIONS
By Marlon Benjamin 9/14/2012*DISCLAIMER* my tweet from yesterday ...I can't see the Packers going 0-2... GB 27 Chi 20.Arizona Cardinals at New England Patriots
The Cardinals have the near impossible task of beating the Patriots more...

NFL WEEK 1 PREDICTIONS
By Marlon Benjamin 9/7/2012*DISCLAIMER - I picked the Giants to beat the Cowboys on Wed. night so I am going in 0-1. Sunday September 9thIndianapolis at Chicago
Andrew Luck will learn quickly that an NFL road game to start your more...

4TH ANNUAL HOOPSFORUM NFL SEASON PREVIEW
By Marlon Benjamin 9/3/2012
It is THAT time of year again. The NFL is ready to kick off the 2012-13 season on Wednesday night (Giants vs. Cowboys) and there are (by my count anyway) at least 7 teams who have a REALISTIC shot to win the Vince Lombardi trophy on Feb 3rd. In the last 10 years the NFL has seen 6 different teams win titles (Pats, Steelers, Giants, Colts, Saints & Packers) 3 AFC teams & 3 NFC teams. With the exception of the Colts each more...

KEYS TO THE SHIP
By Ronald Menard 6/12/2012
This series should be epic, kind of like Marlo versus Avon, Lannister versus Baratheon but much less bloodshed. This series is essentially for best player in the NBA. Letï¿½s look at five key things each team needs to do to win more...

WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS PREVIEW
By Marlon Benjamin 5/25/2012
The San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder will meet in the Western Conference Finals starting Sunday night and it will be the first time they have met in the playoffs since OKC migrated from Seattle. The teams overall are evenly matched. The Thunder more...

NBA PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS
By Marlon Benjamin 4/27/2012
When the East is in the house, DANGER! Well not really. The Heat, the Bulls and the Celtics (with an outside chance) are the only teams that can win the Eastern Conference. The Knicks are trending up, but without emerging point guard Jeremy Lin I cannot take the Knicksmore...

Around the NBA
By Ron Campbell 3/14/2012
The Warriors bring back Stephen Jackson who pretty much forced himself out a few years ago and Andrew Bogut. Andrew Bogut has not played 82 games since his rookie year.more...

5 THINGS TO LOOK FOR IN THE 2nd HALF
By Marlon Benjamin 2/28/2012
As the All Star festivities have come to an end the NBA season picks up with 13 Western Conference teams battling for 8 playoff spots and the Knicks and the Celtics as 7th and 8th seeds respectively in the Eastern Conference.more...

Around the NBA
By Ron Campbell 2/16/2012
Last week Bill Simmons of Grantland blasted Rajon Rondo on his podcast and in an article. He basically said Rondo needs to be traded. Frankly everyone has been blaming Rondo for the Celtics struggles. Tonight Rondo had 35 points and Donnie Marshall stated that Rondo was going for self.more...

Around the NBA
By Ron Campbell 2/1/2012
The Clippers molly-woped the Thunder last night and already I got a ton of calls from friends telling me that the Clippers are the best in the West. more...

DUNK OF THE YEAR

AFC & NFC Championship Predictions
By Marlon 1/21/2012New Orleans Saints at San Francisco 49ers
Tom Brady has been here many times before and every time he has been here he has succeeded with a perfect 4-0 record in AFC Championship games. This game, however has a different feel from the others. This is a game that Baltimore really more...

Around the NBA
By Ron Campbell 1/18/2012
I actually questioned the Nate Robinson signing but he has proven to be an asset for the Warriors. more...

NFL Divisional Predictions
By Marlon 1/14/2012New Orleans Saints at San Francisco 49ers
The record setting Saints offense has been performing at such a break neck pace leaving me to wonder if it will ever be stopped. The answer to that is not exactly. What will happen though is the elements and some old fashioned keep-a-way. more...

AROUND THE NBA
By Ron Campbell 1/9/2012
I havenï¿½t written anything in a few weeks because my new yearï¿½s resolution was to quit smoking so I have been concentrating on that. more...

NFL Wildcard Weekend Predictions
By Marlon 1/7/2012 Cincinnati Bengals vs. Houston Texans
In a potential battle of rookie QB's I am inclined to lean towards the team with the better running game and defensemore...

The HoopsForum Power Rankings
By Ron Campbell 12/23/2011
NBA is starting and even though the Mavs won the Championship the Heat are the team to beat. Letï¿½s take a look at the preseason power rankings

CHRIS PAUL TRADED
By Ron Campbell 12/15/2011
I donï¿½t think this was a good deal for the Clippers because first and foremost Chris Paul has bad knees. more...

AROUND THE NBA
By Ron Campbell 12/13/2011
The Clippers nixed the latest deal for Chris Paul. Eric Gordon, Minnesotaï¿½s unprotected number one pick, Chris Kaman , Al-Farouq Aminu and Eric Bledsoe was way too much more...

NFL Week 14 Predictions
By Marlon 12/8/2011Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers should have absolutely no problem with the Browns. NONE. Steelers 27 Browns 13.

Sunday's GamesBaltimore Ravens at Indianapolis Colts
The Colts are feel more and more LUCK with each loss. Baltimore 24 Indianapolis 7.more...

NFL Week 13 Predictions
By Marlon 12/1/2011Philadelphia Eagles at Seattle Seahawks
This game features a couple of playoff teams from a year ago that will be
watching the playoffs this season from the comfort of their living rooms.
Eagles 24 Seahawks 20.more...

AROUND THE NBA
By Ron Campbell 12/1/2011
The NBA is back and I am very happy. So who were the winners and losers of the lockout? Who cares basketball is back and that is all that matters. more...

NFL Week 12 Predictions
By Marlon 11/23/2011Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions
The Packers are as vulnerable as they will ever be going on the road on a short
week against an upstart Lions team positioned perfectly to prove their legit
contender status. Packers 33 Lions 28.Miami Dolphins at Dallas Cowboys
Both teams are coming into the game on 3 game winning streaks. This should be a
very interesting tilt with home field ultimately being the deciding factor.
Dallas 24 Miami 13.more...

NFL Week 11 Predictions
By Marlon 11/17/2011New York Jets at Denver Broncos
The Jets are beat up and coming off a game in which they gave up the most points
(37) in the Rex Ryan era. So easy win for Denver right? Nope. Jets 30 Broncos
10.Oakland Raiders at Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings are in a fortunate position this week to play one of the few teams
in the league that may be worse than they are, and they are at home. Vikings
20 Raiders 13. more...

NFL Week 10 Predictions
By Marlon 11/10/2011Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers
The Chargers are not playing well right now, but the Raiders are playing much worse. San Diego 31 Oakland 16.Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs
I said last week, Denver wins when you least expect it and vice versa. Kansas City 24 Denver 14.more...

NFL Week 9 Predictions
By Marlon 11/4/2011Atlanta Falcons at Indianapolis Colts
I just cannot picture any scenario in which the win less Colts pull out a victory against a Falcon team fresh off a bye.Atlanta 23 Indianapolis 13.more...

Around the NBA Lockout
By Ron Campbell 11/3/2011
I don't want to spend too much time talking about the NBA as I am totally disgusted by this lockout. More than anything this lockout is a slap in the face to the fans. The fans who stuck around during the NBA's drug era (1970-1981), the over expanded not that entertaining era (1990-1999), the 1999 lockout, the thug era more...

NFL Week 8 Predictions
By Marlon 10/27/2011Miami Dolphins at New York Giants
The Dolphins have the same # of wins as % chance they have of beating the Giants this week. Giants 27 Dolphins 13.Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans
Jacksonville is coming off an impressive defensive display against the Ravens on Monday night and the Texans won last week by 34. I like the home team. Houston 24 Jaguars 17.more...

My Rare View - NFL Season Week 7
By Marlon 10/26/2011
1. The legend of Tim Tebow continues to take on a life of its own.
2. Dallas Cowboy rookie RB DeMarco Murray broke Hall of Famer Emmit Smiths single game rushing record by gashing the hapless Rams for 253 yards rushing.
more...

NFL Week 7 Predictions
By Marlon 10/21/2011Atlanta Falcons at Detroit Lions
For some reason I just cannot commit to the Lions bandwagon or hop off of the
Falcons. Atlanta 20 Detroit 16.Denver Broncos at Miami Dolphins
Will the winless Dolphins capitalize on a golden opportunity to pick up a rare
win against the 1 win Broncos at home? Nope. Denver 21 Miami 17.more...

My Rare View - NFL Season Week 6
By Marlon 10/20/2011
1. The 1-5 Minnesota Vikings are terrible and a change at the QB position is
long overdue.
2. Rookie QB Andy Dalton has led the surprising Bengals to 3 straight victories
and a surprising 4-2 start, including 2-1 on the road
more...

NFL Week 6 Predictions
By Marlon 10/15/2011San Francisco 49ers at Detroit Lions
The Lions continue to fly high and are unbeaten after 5 weeks while San Francisco is coming off a 45 point win. This game can go either way and I think the Niners are for real. 49ers 28 Lions 24. more...

My Rare View - NFL Season Week 5
By Marlon 10/13/2011
1. It's Tebow time in Denver. The cult hero replaced Kyle Orton in the second half of Sunday's game against the Chargers and led a second half rally not seen in that city in over a decade. Of course they still lost but that is a given right? more...

NFL Week 5 Predictions
By Marlon 10/8/2011Philadelphia Eagles at Buffalo Bills
Will the Eagles fall to 1-4, forcing them to play near flawless football for the rest of the season. No. Eagles 35 Bills 27. Tennessee Titans at Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers are banged up but after starting the season with 3 of 4 on the road, I think some home loving is in order. Pittsburgh 24 Titans 10. more...

My Rare View - NFL Season Week 4
By Marlon 10/5/2011
1. Megatron, Stafford and the rest of the Lions, OH MY! If these boys from Detroit keep it up they may just have a home playoff game and anything can happen from there.

2. The Colts dropped to 0-4 even though QB Curtis Painter completed an 87 yard touchdown pass Monday night against the Bucs, something Peyton Manning has NEVER done in his entire career
more...

NFL Week 4 Predictions
By Marlon 9/30/2011
New Orleans Saints at Jacksonville Jaguars
The Saints are as dangerous an offensive unit as there is in the entire NFL. Going into their week 4 matchup against the Jags, they are tied for 2nd in the NFL averaging 34.7 points per game. N.O. 34 Jacksonville 24. more...

My Rare View - NFL Season Week 3
By Marlon 9/29/2011
1. The Vaunted "Dream Team" in Philadelphia lost their second game in a row and their starting QB was also injured for the second game in a row. Looks like things are not going to be as smooth in Philly as many predicted prior to the start of the season.
more...

Around the NFL
By Harold 9/23/2011
The perception of a player can change from week to week or even game to game and that has been the case with Tony Romo this past week. After his horrendous week 1 miscue where he temporarily thought he was playing for the Jets and threw a great pass to Darrelle Reavis, the best thing that could have happened to him was breaking his ribs and puncturing his lungs. It sounds weird saying and typing it but just for the simple fact he did break his ribs and punctured
more...

NFL Week 3 Predictions
By Marlon 9/23/2011
San Francisco 49ers at Cincinnati Bengals
The Niners lost a heartbreaker last weekend to the Cowboys in overtime but should be able to bounce back nicely against the surprising 1-1 Bengals. Niners 28 Bengals 17.more...

My Rare View - NFL season Week 2
By Marlon 9/20/2011
When the Carolina Panthers game ended in a loss to the defending champion Green Bay Packers, Cam Newton became the first rookie in NFL history to pass for over 400 yards in his first two career starts and set an NFL record having passed for 854 yards combined in the first two games of the season.
more...

NFL Week 2 Predictions
By Marlon 9/16/2011
The Jets were EXTREMELY fortunate to beat the Cowboys at home in week 1. They will not need nearly as much good luck to get by the Jags. New York 24 Jacksonville 10.more...

My Rare View - NFL season Week 1
By Marlon 9/14/2011
1. Denver Broncos fans better be careful what they wish for because they just might get it. It is always trendy for fans to campaign for the back-up QB when the starter is neither hot nor popular however Bronco fans have taken it to the extreme by chanting in unison for the teams 3rd string QB. Bronco nation please have a seat, take a deep breath and get in tune with reality. John Elway does not play any more and Tim Tebow is not his reincarnate.more...

2011 NFL SEASON PREVIEW
By Marlon 8/26/2011
Unlike the NBA, we KNOW we will have an upcoming NFL season. The NFLPA and the Owners reached an agreement last month to ensure that. The regular season kicks off on Thursday September 8th in Green Bay and it is shaping up to be one of the most competitive seasons ever. Besides the Packers, there are 6 other teams who will open the season with a starting QB who has won at least one Super Bowl (New England, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis (if Peyton can go), New York Giants, New Orleans and Pittsburgh). Ironically each of the last 4 Super Bowl LOSING QB's had all won a Super Bowl prior to losing (Brady 2008, Warner 2009, P. Manning 2010 & Big Ben 2011). Competition has never been this fierce more...

AROUND THE NBA
By Ron Campbell 8/4/2011
Not much news going around in the NBA these days. Labor negotiations resumed this week and the first thing we here out of the talks is that both sides are very far apart and that we are likely to miss some games this season which is awful news if you are die hard like me more...

AROUND THE NBA
By Ron Campbell 7/13/2011
Yao Ming has retired very sad stuff, his career was cut short by injuries but should not be discounted. He only played eight seasons but had career averages of 19.0ppg 9.2rpg. Yao was very skilled big man who had a killer fade-way shot was a terrific passer. Yeah he didn't average a ton of rebounds, despite more...

AROUND THE NBA
By Ron Campbell 6/28/2011
It is never to early to start thinking about who the top rookies will be so I am going to take a stab at predicting the all-rookie team second and first teams as well as the rookie of the year. more...

AROUND THE NBA
By Ron Campbell 6/21/2011
Ricky Rubio is in the United States and will be playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves if there is a season next year. The Wolves have a lot to be excited about Rubio is a terrific young player who held is own as a 17 year old in the Olympics up against Chris Paul more...

WHERE DO THEY GO FROM HERE
By Marlon 6/20/2011
Now that the Dallas Mavericks have defeated the Miami Heat to win the 2011 NBA Championship where does each team go from here? Dallas just won the title without arguably their 2nd best player (Caron Butler), meanwhile the Heat just lost the title in large part to an epic 4th quarter meltdown in Game 2 (leading by 15 points with 7 minutes left) and an inability to get any type of final quarter production from more...

NBA FINALS PREVIEW
By Marlon 5/31/2011
Letï¿½s get ready to rumble. The Dallas Mavs and Miami Heat played in the NBA Finals 5 years ago. The best player on that Dallas team was Dirk Nowitzki and although he won an MVP the season after that Finals appearance it is arguable that today he is playing the best basketball of his more...

Dagger Dirk's Legacy
By Marlon 5/25/2011
The Mavs are one win away from a second trip to the NBA Finals in the last 5 years. They are led by a player that positioned his team to a 2-0 series lead in that previous Finals appearance before a shocking collapse in losing four straight to Dwayne Wade's Miami Heat. more...

THE HEATS FOUR KEYS TO GAME 2
By Ron Campbell 5/18/2011
The Heat got smacked in the mouth, punched in the face and kicked in the head in game one. It was a close game in the first half tied at halftime but the Bulls just took over in the second half and the Heat had no answers for the Bulls defense. LeBron James and Dwayne Wade were, for lack of a better word more...

Western Conference Finals Preview
By Marlon 5/17/2011
From a numbers, age and explosiveness stand point this is a mismatch and that is an understatement. Kidd however more than closes the gap with guile, experience and an extremely high basketball IQ. Kidd does not have to score to outplay Westbrook, but Kidd cannot stop Westbrook from penetrating and scoring and thatmore...

Eastern Finals Preview
By Marlon 5/15/2011
The Miami Heat and the Chicago Bulls will do battle starting Sunday night to decide who will represent the East in the 2011 NBA Finals. They are the top 2 seeds in the East and boast rosters that have the last 3 NBA MVP's. A quick glance at this series points to the Heat having more...

Eastern Semis Preview
By Marlon 4/29/2011
The Hawks suffered a major set back in their game 6 dispatching of the pathetic Magic when PG Kirk Hinrich went down with a hamstring injury in the 4th quarter. Captain Kirk is hobbled and against the Bulls that is spells trouble. I did not like the Hawks chances with Kirk healthy anyway. Chicago matches up more...

ROUND 1 PLAYOFF PREVIEW
By Marlon 4/15/2011
NBA fans I hope you are ready for what these playoffs have in store for you. I think each series will be competitive for the most part but contrary to popular belief I do not see any first round upsets more...

The REAL Big 3
By Marlon 4/8/2011
No disrespect to the Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls, Orlando Magic or Oklahoma City Thunder but there are only three teams that have the experience, mental toughness and depth to win 4 playoff series and ultimately the 2010-11 NBA Title. Those three teams are the REAL Big 3 more...

Around The NBABy Ron Campbell 4/6/2011
The Bulls are the best team in the east and have the easiest trip to the Eastern conference finals with a first round match up with the Pacers who they should roll right over. In the second round they would have the winner of the Magic/Hawks series. The Magic could be a little trouble with Dwight Howard in the middle but the Bulls have Noah, Thomas and Asik to deal more...

Rare View Final Four Predictions
By Marlon 3/31/2011
VCU has caught the proverbial "lightning in a bottle". A team that many analysts suggested should not even be in the tournament is now 2 more shocking wins away from the most improbable NCAA title in the history of
more...

Rare View ALL TIME GOOD but not GREAT
By Marlon 3/21/2011
Tracy McGrady recently told HOOPSHYPE.COM ï¿½I just wasnï¿½t a great practice player'. He went on to say he did not see how going hard in practice would make him a better player. That is all you need to know about McGrady. He just never knew what it took to be an All Time great. I would tell anyone this
more...

Around The NBABy Ron Campbell 3/16/2011
The Celtics have lost three of their last four games and currently have lost the number one seed in the East with Chicago's win over the Wizards. The problem with the Celtics is their bench. The Celtics bench just isn't healthy Delonte West has missed
more...

Rare View Sizing Up the NBA Playoffs
By Marlon 3/15/2011
Last night for the first time since Nov. 19th Kevin Love failed to register a double-double. His 53-game streak was a franchise record and the longest in the NBA since Elvin Hayes did it in 55 consecutive games in 1973-74. That fact that it came against the team that gives up the most rebounds
more...

My Rare View - Ankle Breaking
By Marlon 3/10/2011
The trade deadline bonanza of 2011 is over & done with but what we may have witnessed was the biggest shake up in NBA trade history. From the obvious (Melo to N.Y.) to the not so obvious (Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson for Jeff Green and Nedad Krstic). The biggest winners
more...

MELO TRADE RUMORSBy Ron Campbell 2/16/2011
The latest in the Carmelo Anthony trade saga has Knicks owner James Dolan possibly overruling Donnie Walsh and Mike D'Antoni and pulling the trigger on a trade that would send Felton, Gallinari, another unnamed starter, Knicks first round pick from Minnesota
more...

NBA Trade Deadline
By Ron Campbell 2/9/2011Nene, Denver Nuggets - Nene like teammate Carmelo Anthony, hold a player option for next season and could walk away and leave the Nuggets with just memories of rebounds and blocked shots. Denver has not made it clear that Nene is a part of their future which should make dealing him for anything more...

Around the NBA
By Ron Campbell 2/9/2011
On Sunday Feb.13th the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Washington Wizards are on track to play one of the most dubious games in NBA history. Unless the Cavs beat Detroit at home on Wednesday or the Clippers at home on Friday they will go into the match-up against the Wizards riding a 27 game losing streak. more...

My Rare View All Star Reserves
By Marlon 2/2/2011
The All Star starters have been chosen by the fans. The Eastern Conference starters are Derrick Rose, Dwayne Wade, Lebron James, Amar'e Stoudemire and Dwight Howard. The West will feature Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant and the Center to be named in place of Yao Ming. For the most more...

TheHoopsForum Power Rankings
By Harold 1/24/2011
The hottest team in the league right now is the New Orleans Hornets. They have won 8 games in a row. In the last 2 games they have beaten playoff teams by a combined 65 points. There should not be an MVP discussion going on without Chris Paul's name in it. On to the rankings: more...

The Rare View Mid Season Report
By Marlon Benjamin 1/21/2011
Most teams have hit the half way point to their season (42 games) and what a season this has been. The emergence of Blake Griffin, the gaudy rebounding totals of Kevin Love, the leadership and dominance of Derrick Rose and last but not least the "Heatles". I still have not mentioned a team that has won 36 of it's first 42 games, the two time defending champs and the team with the best record in the more...

Dynamic Duo
By Marlon Benjamin 1/14/2011
One player is on pace to average at least 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists for the entire season and the other is leading the league in scoring for the second consecutive season. This duo, however, does not play on South Beach. Kevin Durant leads the NBA averaging 28 points per game and is gaining stea
more...

TheHoopsForum Power Rankings
By Harold 1/10/2011
For the last ten plus years, the West has been the dominant conference. Iï¿½m here to tell you, the Western Conferenceï¿½s domination is officially over. The top four teams in the NBA all reside in the East and go as follows, Heat, Celtics, Magic and Bulls. I didnï¿½t really believe in the Bulls but Saturday nightï¿½s win against the Celtics showed me they can play shut down playoff defense. They held the number one offense in the league in the Celtics to 79 points and they did it without Joakim Noah. more...

Around the NBA
By Ron Campbell 1/5/2011
For the first time in "Player of the Month" history, two players were selected for player of the month for one conference. The honors went to LeBron James and Dwayne Wade who were nothing short of amazing in December. The Heat went 15-1 in December with LeBron James averaging 25.2ppg 6.8apg 7.9rpg while Wade averaged 27.9ppg 4.1apg 6.9rpg but really the numbers don't tell more...

Around the NBA
By Ron Campbell 12/31/2010
The Lakers had two huge games over the last week, against the Heat on Christmas and the Spurs on Tuesday and surprisingly the Lakers lost both. Talking to Laker fans over the last few days I heard a ton of excusesmore...

My Rare View
By Marlon Benjamin 12/29/2010
The 2 time defending champions have lost their last 3 games by scores of 19, 16 and 15 points respectively. The first 2 losses were at the lovely confines of the Staples Center. Most telling was last nights loss to the team with the best record in the NBA the San Antonio Spurs. The great
more...

TheHoopsForum Power Rankings
By Harold 12/27/2010
We learned a few things on Christmas day about the NBA and its hierarchy.
The Magic are a legit threat to win the East. They shouldnï¿½t have won that game against the Celtics, they were down the entire game, Dwight Howard only scored 6 points and was acting like a baby in the face of adversity and all the newcomers were playing terribly, more...

Amare MVP?? I don't think So
By Ron Campbell 12/15/2010
Amare Stoudemire has played some inspired basketball as of late. The Knicks have won 13 of their last 14 and Amare has scored 30 or more points in his last eight games which is a New York Knick record. In addition much has been made about the leadership Amare brings
more...

TheHoopsForum Power Rankings
By Harold 12/13/2010
If you have tuned into a New York Knicks game recently , you are only seeing a small sample of what New York Knick basketball is all about. Now when they make the playoffs, then and only then will you fully understand what it is all about. Growing up as a kid, I loved watching playoff games at Madison Square Garden. It is great to hear the chants of defense return and see the obvious energy in the crowd
more...

Go to Guys
By Marlon Benjamin 11/23/2010
"... To be the man you have to beat the man" - Ric Flair.
When the game is in the balance every team relies on one player to determine their fate. Win or lose "The Man" is going to be the hero or the goat. "The Man" however is not necessarily the teams best player. Here is a look at each team in the league:
more...

TheHoopsForum Power Rankings
By Harold 12/6/2010
LeBron Jamesï¿½s much anticipated return to Cleveland was a disappointment. LeBron was not physically assaulted nor did the Cavaliers put up a fight. I was expecting the fans to at least throw some debris LeBronï¿½s way, I expected one the Cavalier players to knock LeBron James to the ground and start a fake scuffle, I expected
more...

November Awards
By Ron Campbell 12/03/2010
The 2010-11 season has begun and it was a very interesting month to say the least lets take a look at the outstanding players of November.
more...

TheHoopsForum Power Rankings
By Harold 11/30/2010
This is actually the first TheHoopsForum NBA Power Rankings of the year, so excuse me if it is a little too wordy, however I had to catch everybody up on what is currently going on. Let get it in.
1. Spurs (14-2): Sunday the Spurs sent a message to the entire league by coming back from 17 points down to defeat the Hornets. They are back they, are healthy and they are going after the title and it makes me sick.
more...

Memphis is Pointed in the Right Direction
By Marlon Benjamin 11/23/2010
Memphis Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley Jr earlier this season signed a 5 year contract extension worth $45 million much to the utter disgust of many critics. 23 year old point guards with career averages of 11 points and 5 assists per game are not exactly a rare
more...

Around the NBA
By Ron Campbell 11/22/2010
With New Orleans suffering a loss this past week to the Dallas Mavericks the San Antonio Spurs have taken over as the NBA hottest team. The Spurs sport the NBA's longest winning streak at ten games.
more...

Around the NBA
By Ron Campbell 11/16/2010
As a result of Kevin Love going for a historic 31 points and 31 rebounds last Friday against the Knicks I watched the Wolves next game against the Hawks. What I saw was a very young undisciplined team.
more...

The Future of Basketball
By Marlon Benjamin 11/12/2010
The Basketball Gods have smiled upon 3 ultra gifted young'sï¿½ I ain't gassin it, take a look for yourself:
Damon Harge, the #1 ranked Point Guard in the class of 2017, put on a show all summer long playing for the Soldiers, and footage from the Adidas Junior
more...

Heat Check
By Marlon Benjamin 11/10/2010
Last night the Miami Heat lost their first home game of the young season thanks to an out of body experience from Utah Jazz forward Paul Millsap. In his first four seasons in the NBA, Millsap went 2-20 from 3 point range but somehow managed to go 3-3 in the final minute against the NBA's best defensive team.
more...

Meltdown in Motown
By Marlon Benjamin 11/4/2010
I watched the Detroit Pistons lose to the Boston Celtics a couple of nights ago and the first thought that came to mind was, oh how the mighty have fallen. Fast, hard and flat on their face.
Just 3 seasons ago the Detroit Pistons were playing in their 6th straight Eastern Conference Finals, today the Pistons are off to an 0 - 5 start and do not a have a single
more...

Dirk vs. Melo
By Ron Campbell 11/3/2010
Today the Dallas Mavericks play the Denver Nuggets which for me is the match-up of the night. The game will feature two of the NBAï¿½s biggest stars in Dirk Nowitski and Carmelo Anthony. Going forward, on a periodic basis, I will feature the match-up of the night and compare the two stars and ultimately tell you who is better.
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LeBronï¿½s Speaks About Decision
By Ron Campbell 11/3/2010
LeBron said recently if he had to do it all over he would do "The Decision" differently.
"If I had to go back on it, I probably would do it a little bit different," James said. "But I'm happy with the decision I made. There's always going to be a misunderstanding. I don't know what I wouldmore...

NorthWest Division Preview
By Ron Campbell 10/26/2010Utah - Exit Ronnie Brewer & Carlos Boozer and Enter Raja Bell & Al Jefferson which means the Jazz upgraded. Bell can spread the floor with his ability to hit threes and he is a better defender than Brewer. Al Jefferson could finally be an All-Star as he is now surrounded with capable teammates and a more than capable coach in
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SouthWest Division Preview
By Ron Campbell 10/21/2010
They have two of the top three players in the league and three of the top ten, after that the rest of the roster is questionable. The Heat will win the Southeast Division but I am not so sure that they win the Eastern Conference. I have a feeling that Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh will run out
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Central Division Preview
By Ron Campbell 10/19/2010Milwaukee - Everything rests, as usual with this team, on the health of center Andrew Bogut who is coming off his best season as a pro. He is also coming off a gruesome hand/arm/elbow
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Atlantic Division Preview
By Ron Campbell 10/18/2010Boston Celtics - The Celtics are the reigning Eastern conference champs and the moves they made this summer to acquire Shaquille O'Neal, Jermaine O'Neal and Delonte West will only strengthen their team. The major concern with these guys are whether they are going to take the regular
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5 Players To Watch This Season
By Marlon 10/13/2010Jrue Holiday, Philadelphia - His rookie numbers were 9.7 ppg and 4.7 apg as a starter in 30 minutes per game. Doug Collins made it clear that the Sixers are Andre Iguodalas team but Holiday is his PG and will run the show. Holiday has some good scoring options
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LeBron James is Just Having Fun
By Harold 10/13/2010
I hate to write about LeBron James again, but everyone else is, so why not. The other day I was going through my past articles and I stumbled across a blog I did two years ago titled "Having Fun". It was about players, who in my opinion were more about having fun on the court than actually competing to win the game. After watching LeBron dance more...

TEN REASONS WHY THE HEAT WILL WIN THE NBA CHAMPIONSHIP
By Marlon Benjamin 10/04/201010. Pat Riley - Eric Spoelstra is the Miami Heat Head Coach by title only. Anyone with an ounce of basketball knowledge knows team President Pat Riley is pulling all of the strings directly off the court and indirectly on it. Riley's resume is awesome; as a player he won an NBA Championship (1972),
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TEN REASONS WHY THE HEAT WON'T WIN THE NBA CHAMPIONSHIP
By Ron Campbell 9/30/2010
Since the start of training camp on Monday, all I have been hearing is how the Miami Heat with their superstar trio of Dwayne Wade, Lebron James & Chris Bosh, are going to win the NBA title, now is the time to jump on the bandwagon and don't bet against anything these guys are doing. Frankly I think all of those people are setting themselves up to be disappointed. So here are Ten reasons why I think the Heat won't win the NBA championship this season.
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2010 NFL Season Preview
By Marlon 9/9/2010
The 2010 NFL season is (finally) here and it all kicks off tonight in a rematch of last seasonï¿½s NFC Championship game. I predicted the Saints to come out of virtually nowhere to make it to the Super Bowl last season. 2009 NFL Season Preview. Unfortunately the New England Patriots did not cooperate and the Saints marched on in to the Super Bowl record books with its first title in franchise history.
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No Rondo No Medal
By Ron Campbell 8/25/2010
On Tuesday August 24, 2010 Rajon Rondo withdrew his name from consideration to compete for TEAM USA in the World Championship in Turkey. On Sunday versus Spainï¿½s national team Rajon Rondo surprisingly didnï¿½t play a single minute in the game after starting the two previous games. Rick Kamla and Steve Smith hinted at the fact that maybe Coach Mike Krzyzewski wanted to take a longer look at Stephen Curry and
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NBA's Top Three
By Ron Campbell 8/6/2010
Last night on NBAtv they had a special previewing some of the marquee games of the upcoming season. When it came time to discuss the Christmas day showdown between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat special guest Kenny Smith was posed with the question by
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Shaq to the Celtics
By Ron Campbell 8/5/2010
This upcoming season, Shaquille Oï¿½Neal will be sporting the Celtic green in what could possibly be the final stop of his illustrious career. At first I was skeptical however after giving it some thought, I am very excited about the Big Aristotle
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Robin Lopez's Brother
By Ron Campbell 8/5/2010
When Brook Lopez came out of Stanford I felt he was a much underrated prospect. Lopez was drafted 10th overall in the 2008 NBA draft by the New Jersey Nets. After a stellar rookie campaign things have been downhill
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BIG FISH IN A LITTLE BIG 12 POND
By Ron Campbell 7/19/2010
Prior to being drafted number two overall by the Philadelphia 76ers, Evan Turner was being compared to everyone from Oscar Robertson to Brandon Roy after putting up eye popping numbers at Ohio State. Turner's junior numbers of 20-9-6 had coaches, scouts and fans
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The Free Agent Fallout By Marlon Benjamin 6/30/2010
The biggest NBA Free Agent frenzy in history is set to take place at EXACTLY 12:01 a.m. EST on July 1st 2010. The names are familiar by now, from the obvious - Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade and Carlos Boozer to the unexpected - Paul Pierce and Dirk Nowitzki. There are at least a 1/2 dozen future Hall of Famers who will be
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NBA Finals Preview By Marlon Benjamin 6/3/2010
The 2010 NBA Finals will feature a rematch of the 2008 NBA Finals, this time it is the Los Angeles Lakers who will have the home court advantage over the road warrior Boston Celtics. The Lakers have yet to lose at home this post season but the Celtics are an impressive 5-3 on the road winning 2 of 3 road games against the teams with the more...

Western Conference Finals Preview By Marlon Benjamin 5/14/2010
am not going to sugarcoat it at all. I did not think the Phoenix Suns would win more than 1 game against the San Antonio Spurs so naturally they swept them. In the 2010 playoffs, the Suns are playing with the moxie of a champion. Nash is the best floor leader left in the playoffs and the Suns are the most efficient offensive unit remaining. With that being said they have just about NO chance to beat the L.A.
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A Legacy on the Line - Cavs vs. CelticsBy Marlon Benjamin 5/1/2010
Is it too soon to say that at the tender age of 25 Lebron James is on the verge of tainting what could be the greatest career in the history of basketball? NO. I do not think it is. This post season is supposed to be HIS post season. The King has the best team he has had since entering the NBA and once again
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News & ReactionBy Marlon Benjamin 04/02/2010
The Tiger blame game, Toine gets the pink slip & the C's crying foul play on this weekï¿½s News & Reaction. Mets de Guaynabo released after nine games former NBA player Antoine Walker. The American, who accepted the proposal of the Puerto Rican club, to earn money for his debts, appeared in 9 games averaging 12.4ppg and 8.9rpg in BSN.
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The Weekend That Was...By Marlon Benjamin 03/29/2010
Since Tony Parker went down with a broken hand a couple of weeks ago, Manu Ginobili has been the best player in the Western Conference and the Spurs are moving up the Western Conference standings with the diligence of a champion.
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Top Ten Dunks From The 2009-10 High School SeasonBy Marlon Benjamin 03/29/2010

The Oklahoma City Thunder are on the verge of a playoff appearance with the possibility of home court advantage in the opening round. They have a Coach of the Year candidate (Scott Brooks), an MVP candidate (Kevin Durant), a Most Improved player candidate (Russell Westbrook) and the
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10 Things Should Know BEFORE the NBA Playoffs...By Marlon Benjamin 03/09/2010
The NBA second season is a little more than a month away but it is never too early to be on the lookout for potential playoff stories and surprises. Last season the Denver Nuggets and the Orlando Magic came out of nowhere to reach the Conference. Out of nowhere is an understatement. Denver was swept out of the playoffs in the 1st round prior to last seasonï¿½s surprise and the Magic lost to the Pistons 4-1 in round 2 that same year. The Nuggets got Chauncey Billups in an early season trade to finally get Carmelo Anthony out of the 1st round of the playoffs after 5 years and a total of 4 playoff wins. Not series wins
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Celtics Are DoneBy Ron Campbell 3/4/2010
Back in 2007 when Celtics general manager Danny Ainge traded for Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, I knew their championship window would only be a few years. As a matter of fact I remember telling my brother and father their window to win a championship would only be open for about three years.
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TheHoopsForum NBA Power RankingsBy Marlon Benjamin 2/23/2010
The NBA Trade deadline has passed and the Dallas Mavericks were the biggest winners getting two impact starters to improve their team defensively. The Mavs are 3-1 since acquiring Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood and appear poised to challenge the Lakers and the Nuggets for Western Conference supremacy. The once unbeatable Cavs traded for former All Star swingman Antawn Jamison in hopes strengthening their title hopes. They have taken several steps back however (0-2 when Jamison plays), and have their first 3 game losing streak in 2 yearsï¿½ on to the rankings.
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Breakdown of Cavaliers/Clipper/Wizard tradeBy Ron Campbell 2/19/2010
Big time, three team, five player and draft pick trade on Wednesday as the Cleveland Cavaliers acquired Antawn Jamison and Sebastian Telfair, the Washington Wizards acquired Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Al Thornton and the Cavs first round draft pick and the Los Angeles Clippers acquired Drew Gooden.
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Breakdown Blazers/Clippers TradeBy Ron Campbell 2/18/2010
On Tuesday the Blazers and Clippers completed a trade that will send Marcus Camby to the Blazers in exchange for Steve Blake and Travis Outlaw. I like this trade for both teams, the Blazers add a
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Who is Denver's Best PlayerBy Ron Campbell 2/10/2010
Last Friday Night the Denver Nuggets walked into Staples Center without all-star forward Carmelo Anthony and beat the best team in the western conference the LA Lakers convincingly. Chauncey Billups led the Nuggets with
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TheHoopsForum NBA Power RankingsBy Marlon Benjamin 2/9/2010
Congrats to the city of New Orleans for winning their first NFL Championship. The city of Ohio looks like they are preparing for their 1st NBA Championship. Lebron "the Don" James is going to repeat as league MVP and the Cavs are the front runners right now. Boston is old, L.A. is banged up and Orlando just doesn't get it... on to the rankings.
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Can the Hawks SoarBy Ron Campbell 2/9/2010
A few weeks ago the Atlanta Hawks completed a 4-0 season sweep against their rivals, the Boston Celtics, and with that victory many questions were raised. How good are the Hawks? Can they make it to the Eastern conference finals?
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Playoff PictureBy Marlon Benjamin 2/4/2010
The C's are looking older than the invention of the wheel, the Mamba does it again, Lebron has his Cavs rolling and Mr. Big Shot Billups is playing with a chip on his shoulder after being snubbed as an All Star Reserve. These are just a few of the recent headlines in the NBA. Now on to this weeks rankings.
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TheHoopsForum NBA Power RankingsBy Marlon Benjamin 2/1/2010
The C's are looking older than the invention of the wheel, the Mamba does it again, Lebron has his Cavs rolling and Mr. Big Shot Billups is playing with a chip on his shoulder after being snubbed as an All Star Reserve. These are just a few of the recent headlines in the NBA. Now on to this weeks rankings.
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TheHoopsForum NBA Power RankingsBy Ron Campbell 1/25/2010
Kevin Garnett is back for the Celtics in his absence the Celtics relinquished the best record in the East to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The big question for the Cavs is, is this year's Cavs team good enough to get to the finals? Well in my opinion with the Celtics aging right before our eyes and the Magic shooting three pointers like they are going out of style I have to say I think the Cavs can definitely get there. Lets get into it:
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TheHoopsForum NBA Power RankingsBy Ron Campbell 1/18/2010
Gilbert Arenas pleaded guilty to felony gun possession in the District of Columbia Superior Court. Arenas apologized to the organization, fans and thanked law enforcement officials for handling the situation. Don't know when we will see Arenas again but I wouldn't bet on this season. Lets get to the rankings:
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TheHoopsForum NBA Power RankingsBy Ron Campbell 1/11/2010
Dwight Howard field goal attempts issue has been a bit exaggerated. Howard is actually leading the league in free throw attempts and with him making only 58.6% of his free throws, oppossing teams would rather have him make one then get an easy two.
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Zero to Hero back to ZeroBy Harold 1/08/2010
Gilbert Arenas has let down his family, friends, and the Washington Wizards organization. His decision to bring unloaded firearms to the Verizon Center finally caught up to him on Wednesday as David Stern dropped the hammer by suspending him indefinitely
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TheHoopsForum NBA Power RankingsBy Ron Campbell 1/04/2010
Gilbert Arenas allegedly placed three firearms on a stool in front of teammate
Javaris Crittenton locker room and allegedly Javaris let it be known he has guns too. Arenas has tried to down play the incident via his Twitter account. Arenas has been tweeting all weekend long below are a few:
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Weekend NotesBy Marlon Benjamin 1/04/2010
Happy New Year (as if you all have not heard those 3 words til it makes your ears bleed). I spent most of my holiday weekend enjoying one of the great pleasures in life... SPORTS.
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Thoughts from Last Night...By Marlon Benjamin 12/29/2009
Rajon Rondo had another monster game last night scoring 30 points and dishing out 15 assists but when the game was on the line he was once again outplayed by one of the better Western Conference guards. Last night Monta Ellis picked up where Baron Davis left off the night before scoring 37 points including two free throws with 2.3 seconds to clinch the 103 to 99 victory. I have been hearing some talk in the city of Boston that Rondo has become the Celtics best player. While I think Rondo is a terrific young performer, he is not the C's best player. As a matter of fact he is tied for third with Ray Allen. K.G. and the Truth are still the best two players.
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TheHoopsForum NBA Power RankingsBy Ron Campbell 12/28/2009
Christmas day brought a lot of surprises for NBA fans. The first was the Celtics getting a win versus the Magic. After beating the Celtics in Boston and with Paul Pierce missing in action, I thought the Celtics would lose but to my surprise, they were able to pull out the win. The Lakers versus the Cavs was another, I was surprised to see Kobe play so selfishly, he took 32 shots while Ron Artest and Pau Gasol took 11 shots each. The Blazers, who were missing half their roster to injury, defeated the Denver Nuggets behind Brandon Roy's 41 points. Roy was absolutely amazing on Christmas.
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TheHoopsForum NBA Power RankingsBy Ron Campbell 12/22/2009
The Lakers are back at the top of the rankings as Boston showed some weakness
losing to the 76ers at home after taking a 15 point lead. Kobe Bryant was
brilliant last week hitting the game winning shot against the Bucks in overtime
after missing the same exact shot at the end of regulation. He has a broken
finger on his shooting hand by the way. You can say many things about Kobe but
his desire to win basketball games at all costs is not one of them. Letï¿½s get
into it:
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1/4 of the NBA Season AwardsBy Harold 12/18/2009
One fourth of the NBA season is over so I think it is time to give out the 1/4 of the NBA Season Awards. Not to mention, all the other web-sites are doing it. So letï¿½s get right into it.
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TOP TEN NBA STORIES OF 2009By Ron Campbell 12/14/2009
On November 14, 2009, the NBA world took notice of rookie Brandon Jennings. In a game versus the Golden State Warriors, Brandon Jennings had a performance that had not been seen by a rookie in 41 years. Jennings scored 55 points after not even scoring in the first quarter of the game. The last time a rookie had such a game was 1968 when Earl "the Pearl" Monroe scored 58. Jennings is the youngest player to ever score 50 or more points in a game.
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TheHoopsForum NBA Power RankingsBy Ron Campbell 12/14/2009
The Lakers 10 game winning streak came to an end on Saturday as they were visibly rattled by the hostile Utah crowd but the loss is the least of the Lakers concern. Kobe Bryant broke his index finger on his shooting hand Friday night versus Minnesota. Kobe is tough but I don't know if he can play and be as effective with a broken finger on his shooting hand.
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LIVE BY THE 3 DIE BY THE 3By Steis 12/11/2009
Charles Barkley thought long and hard last night when asked if the Orlando Magic were the best team in the East...finally he said yes they were...Kenny "The Jet" Smith was very disturbed by the response as was I...his reason was they have the deepest team in the league...then Kenny asked if
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END NBA FAN VOTINGBy Ron Campbell 12/11/2009
We got our first peek at the NBA All-Star ballot yesterday as the NBA released the early vote tallies and as usual it was a complete disaster. I understand why the NBA has fan voting. It is a great way to engage fans; fans want to see their favorite players and overall it is a good public relations move for the NBA. The problem with
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The Spurs Great RegressionBy Marlon Benjamin 12/10/2009
The San Antonio Spurs were supposed to be an elite team this season. Right now they are 1-5 on the road and have a worse record than the OKC Thunder. No disrespect to Kevin Durant's boys but that is FAR from elite. The off season was busy and on the surface seemed productive and full
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GAMES TO WATCHBy Ron Campbell 12/07/2009MONDAYDenver versus Philadelphia - Allen Iverson makes his return to Philadelphia and to play his former team the Nuggets. Wow! Golden State vs.. Oklahoma City - This game promises to be a high-scoring, run and gun affair.
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LEBRON JAMES KING or COURT JESTER?By Ron Campbell 12/07/2009
On Friday Night things got heated between Joakim Noah of the Chicago Bulls and Lebron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Noah appeared to take offense to Lebron dancing at various points throughout the Cavs 101 to 87 victory over the Bulls.
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TheHoopsForum NBA Power RankingsBy Ron Campbell 12/07/2009
Monday will mark the return of Allen Iverson, I for one am ecstatic. Hopefully Iverson will play a few more seasons in the NBA and these recent events with Memphis and retiring will just be a blip in his Hall of Fame career.
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Random ThoughtsBy Marlon Benjamin 12/04/2009
From all indications, the greatest Golfer ever got caught up in the game of life. Just because you get married, have kids or have more money in the bank than over 50 countries in the world, it does not make you impervious to temptation. Tiger is one the most recognizable human beings on the planet, an icon in his sport and regardless of his personal preference a role model
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Blame It On The HennyBy Harold 12/04/2009
Once again Ron Artest has found a new way to make headlines. In a recent
interview with The Sporting News, Artest claimed to have drank Hennessey during
halftime of games while he was playing for the Chicago Bulls. This statement is
just another sad attempt at seeking attention. Back in High School we had a
saying for when somebody was telling a story that was either way to over the top
or just too perfect. The saying was "I'll let you tell it"
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Will They Even Win One Game?By Marlon Benjamin 12/04/2009
The New Jersey Nets lost for the 18th straight time to open the season setting an infamous NBA record. On Wednesday, they played the Dallas Mavericks who were led by PG Jason Kidd who previously led the once proud Nets to back to back Finals appearances earlier in the decade. Dallas shot 81% from the field in the first half of the game and you do not need a Doctorate in betting on NBA basketball odds to know that if
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CAN IVERSON AND THE 76ERS WORKBy Ron Campbell 12/01/2009
A homecoming is on the horizon in Philadelphia. The 76ers have offered former franchise player Allen Iverson a one-year non-guaranteed contract and Iverson who played 10 seasons with the Sixers is expected to accept the offer as early as today. So the big question is will this reunion work out. I for one think it will and for the following reasons:
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TheHoopsForum NBA Power RankingsBy Marlon Benjamin 12/01/2009
The Indianapolis Colts are 11-0 in the NFL and have a legit chance of being a perfect 16-0 heading into the playoffs. Not to get carried away or anything but would anyone be surprised if the Lakers finished the season 79 and 3. Yeah that is forcing it a bit but a healthy Lakers squad is pretty good and the losses will be few and far between. On to the rankings...
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Grading the SophomoresBy Ron Campbell 11/25/2009
Remember the 2008 draft? Many analysts and bloggers were calling it one of the most talented and deepest draft classes of all time due to the amount of high-schoolers being restricted from entering the NBA draft. Well that draft class is in their second season and I thought it was time to evaluate the first rounders and their performance thus far this season. Some guys I couldn't evaluate due to lack of playing time so I gave those players an incomplete which really isn't a ringing endorsement. Lets get to it shall we:
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TheHoopsForum NBA Power RankingsBy Ron Campbell 11/23/2009
Two weeks ago I put the Phoenix Suns at number one in the power rankings after defeating the Celtics at Boston. Last week, I put the Atlanta Hawks number one after defeating the Celtics in Boston. This past Friday the Magic defeated the Celtics at home and I have come to terms with the fact that the Celtics aren't who I thought they were.
Brandon Jennings is getting a lot of credit for the Bucks start but lets not forget Scott Skiles, he is doing a terrific coaching job.
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Top 10 NBA Point GuardsBy Harold 11/20/2009
In this past yearï¿½s NBA Draft the league got another handful of talented young point guards that are making an immediate impact on their respective teams. Brandon Jennings, Johnny Flynn and Tyreke Evans are some of the names you are going to hear for years to come as they attempt to take their teams to the promise land. Some of the veterans are showing they still got it and that they are not planning on going anywhere any time soon, namely Steve Nash and Jason Kidd.
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The GM Can Stay, But Lose The CoachBy Marlon Benjamin 11/19/2009
I do not believe in curses but something has definitely not been "right" in L.A. Clipperï¿½s history as an organization. But let us not get into the abysmal past just yet; let us discuss the here and now. The Clippers have a talented enough roster, albeit banged up right now missing two key players even before Marcus Camby went down last night, to be in serious contention for one of the final two playoff spots in the Western Conference.
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Duncanï¿½s DecadeBy Trevor Zickgraf 11/18/2009
Over the next few months, several debates will start in every major sport (many already have) over what was the team of the decade, who the player of the decade was, etc. For the last decade the two most dominant players in the NBA have been Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan. In terms of statistics, accolades and titles (Sorry KG), Duncan and Kobe have
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No More CrapBy Steis 11/17/2009
Itï¿½s November 17th 2009 ya'llï¿½ what a year so farï¿½ despite the recent economic struggles of this country (that everyone and their grandmother is facing) I feel greatï¿½ Iï¿½ve been finding a way to stabilize my finances by working a lot harder than normalï¿½itï¿½s what you have to do in these timesï¿½ but we are human beings and when itï¿½s all work and no play it can cause the body to crave for some ï¿½funï¿½ï¿½ normally for me ï¿½funï¿½ might include blowing some paper in a night club
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TheHoopsForum NBA Power RankingsBy Ron Campbell 11/16/2009
A lot of crazy and unexpected things happened in the NBA this past week: Bryon Scott was fired, Lakers beat the Suns then the Nuggets and Rockets both beat the Lakers; the Hawks and Pacers both beat the Celtics; Sacramento has now won four in a row without Kevin Martin; Brandon Jennings all but took home the NBA Rookie of the Year trophy scoring 55 points in a win against the Warriors on Saturday night. The big question is with all the top teams taking a loss who is number one this week? Letï¿½s take a look more...

CB: I would have to say working somewhere like a group home or recreational center. You know working with kids, helping kids and sharing my story. Just trying to be a pillar in the community. more...

Caron Butler InterviewBy Harold 11/13/2009
The Hip Hop culture can be found in many places influencing many people. Racine, Wisconsin is one of those places and Washington Wizard All Star forward Caron Butler is one of those people. Growing up in Racine was anything but easy for Caron Butler but amid all the success, Butler has not forgotten where he came from. Butler is a pillar in his community; so much so that June 8th has been named Caron Butler day in his hometown. As the 2009-2010 season continues, expectations are higher then ever for the Wizards. more...

No More CrapBy Steis 11/12/2009
Itï¿½s November 12th 2009 ya'llï¿½ what a year so farï¿½ despite the recent economic struggles of this country (that everyone and their grandmother is facing) I feel greatï¿½ Iï¿½ve been finding a way to stabilize my finances by working a lot harder than normalï¿½itï¿½s what you have to do in these timesï¿½ but we are human beings and when itï¿½s all work and no play it can cause the body to crave for some ï¿½funï¿½ï¿½ more...

Tyler Hansbrough DisrespectedBy Ron Campbell 11/12/2009
Tyler Hansbrough a.k.a Psycho T was a terrific player at the University of North
Carolina. His list of accomplishments at UNC is extensive to say the least;
National player of the year, ACC player of the year, four time all ACC first
team selection, national champion etc. Tyler is UNC's all time leading scorer a
school that produced countless NBA players including Rasheed Wallace, Vince
Carter, more...

WARRIORS DANCING WITH WOLVESBy Ron Campbell 11/10/2009
The Warriors suffered an embarrassing losses to the Clippers and Kings this past weekend but on Monday they took out their frustrations against the wolves scoring an NBA season high 146 points. The Warriors were led by Kelenna Azubuike 31 points and Stephen Jacksonï¿½s 15 assists. The loss marked the Wolves seventh straight loss. more...

TheHoopsForum NBA Power RankingsBy Ron Campbell 11/9/2009
Before we get started I would like to state my feelings on the Allen Iverson situation. Allen Iverson is one of the better players of this generation. What he was able to accomplish for his size and stature is nothing short of amazing and the NBA may never see another player like him ever again. For years we heard Iverson wasn't going to last & his body will break down but it never happened. more...

Brandon Roy is OverratedBy Harold 11/5/2009
I know this will not please many people in the Portland, Oregon area and it will not please many casual fans who like to think they have the NBA all figured out but Iï¿½m going come right out and say it, Brandon Roy is overrated. YEAH I SAID IT! more...

Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki had a 4th quarter for the ages leading his team to a comeback victory at home against the Utah Jazz. A day later he fouls out scoring just 12 points on 4-15 shooting in an overtime loss to the New Orleans Pauls. Despite this stink bomb, Dirk Nowitzki is among the best players in the game today. more...

What I SawBy Marlon Benjamin 11/4/2009
Dirk Nowitzki scored a franchise record 29 of his season high 40 points in the 4th quarter as Dallas beat Utah 86 - 85 in Dallas. Utah is so terrible on the road they could not even hold down the 15 point lead they had going into the 4th quarter. more...

Knicks Swat HornetsBy Ron Campbell 11/3/2009
Last week Chris Duhon had some harsh words for his teammates following a double over time loss to the Charlotte Bobcats. Last night, it appeared as though his teammates got the message. The Knicks played a great game last night. more...

NBA Power RankingsBy Ron Campbell 11/2/2009
There are a lot of surprises to start this NBA season. Carmelo Anthony has picked up right where he left off last year pouring in points in dominating fashion. Brandon Jennings has emerged as the very early rookie of the year candidate. The Celtics are stronger then we all imagined, their bench is unbelievably strong and the big three don't appear to be slowing down at all. Letï¿½s get right into it:
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Last Night's RecapBy Marlon Benjaman 10/30/2009
Tim Duncan led the San Antonio Spurs with 28 points and 16 rebounds. No other starter had more than 9 points and the rest of the four starters combined for 12 rebounds; that is NOT going to get it done. Loul Dengï¿½s 17 points led 6 Bulls in double figures and Derrick Rose showed Tony Parker why he is quickly climbing up the PG ranks going for 13 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists.
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It's A Long SeasonBy Marlon Benjaman 10/29/2009
The "mighty" Cats scored a franchise low 59 points in a loss last night to the Boston Celtics. Gerald Wallace was the only player in double figures for Charlotte and he had just 10. They will not play a World Champion every night but if this is a sign of things to come this season, head coach Larry Brown may not have any hair in his hair piece by Thanksgiving.
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NBA ActionBy Marlon Benjaman 10/28/2009
The 2010 NBA season is HERE!!! Die hard hoop fans across the world will be tuning in too watch the finest athletes on the planet play the best game ever created. Here is who I think will walk away with some hardware at the end of the season...
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Last Night's RecapBy Ron Campbell 10/28/2009
The Cavs came out strong but once they had to go to the bench, Boston took the lead and never looked back. Boston's bench was the difference outscoring Cleveland's bench 26 to 10. Before the game I tweeted whoever wins the battle on the boards will win the game. Boston out rebounded Cleveland
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RANDOM NBA THOUGHTSBy Harold 10/27/2009
With the NBA season just a few hours away, I want to share some random thoughts I have, about a couple of things I have observed.

I stumbled across an Orlando Magic pre-season game against Chicago Bulls about a week ago and was really impressed by the play of Ryan Anderson. He finished the game with 18 points, including going 4-7 from behind the three point line. It will probably be a good thing if Russian tycoon
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Purple Ninjaï¿½s Movie Fan Blog Vol IIBy Purple Ninja 10/27/2009
Today I feel like talking about really, really gross movies. I mean REALLY grossï¿½ Ichi The Killer is directed by Takashi Miike, who has generously provided us with such awesome movies as Hostel, Audition and the unbelievably twisted Visitor Q. Now I grew up watching horror movies but this movie has so much blood and gore in it
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KEVIN GARNETT KOOL-AIDBy Ron Campbell 10/26/2009
Being a sports fan is one of the greatest feelings in the world. Following your favorite team can bring out tons of emotions such as elation, sadness, despair and heart break but when does our love for a sport or a player go too far? When has a line been crossed? When do we as fans let our emotions get the best of us? This past Friday Zach Lowe of
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Misrepresentation of Isiah ThomasBy Harold 10/23/2009
For decades now we have heard tons of negative reports regarding Isiah Thomas the basketball player, Isiah Thomas the league owner, Isiah Thomas the general manager, Isiah Thomas the coach and now Isiah Thomas the friend. Isiah has been excused of organizing the freeze out of Michael Jordan in the 1985 All-Star game. It has been said he was the ring leader of the infamous Detroit Pistons Bad Boys of the 80s, a team known for its excessive physical and dirty play. He was blamed for bankrupting the CBA and stock piling inadequate and inferior talent as GM of the New York Knicks.
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Purple Ninjaï¿½s Movie Fan Blog By Purple Ninja 10/23/2009
Ok in the past two weeks Iï¿½ve been to the movie theater 3 timesï¿½I traveled far to the North to see Paranormal Activity. Then right next door to see both Couples Retreat and Law Abiding Citizen. Here is what I think of all threeï¿½..
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Kevin Garnett ExposedBy Ron Campbell 10/22/2009
For sometime now mainstream sports media (haha I sound like Fox News) has had a love affair with Kevin Garnett and frankly I am not sure why. Granted Kevin Garnett is a terrific basketball player. Garnett gives 100% every time he steps on the floor and his defensive abilities helped lead the Celtics to banner No. 17 but in my opinion Garnett is not who everyone thinks he is.
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The Four Horseman - The NBA EliteBy Marlon Benjamin 10/21/2009
In the NBA there are 4 ELITE players that stand head & shoulders above the rest. NO disrespect to the Legends of the game; Shaq, Duncan & K.G., NO disrespect to the 1st ballot Hall of Famers, Paul Pierce, Dirk Nowitzki & Jason Kidd and finally NO disrespect to the young studs Dwight Howard, Kevin Durant and Deron Williams.
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Itï¿½s Just Pre-Seasonï¿½ BUT By Marlon Benjamin 10/19/2009
Before I begin with round ballï¿½ yesterday I tuned into the New England Patriots vs. Tennessee Titans football game. The score was 10-0 at the end of the 1st quarter in a driving snowstorm. At the END of the second quarter the score was 45-0. Yes that is NOT a typo 45-0. Tom Brady threw for a league record 5 touchdown passes in the 2nd quarter and finished the game with the same total he had through the 1st 5 games of the seasonï¿½ 6. The final score was 59-0 and believe me when I tell you it was not even that close. Realistically if the Patriots wanted to score 90 points
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West Coast PreviewBy Ron Campbell 10/14/2009
1. L.A. LAKERS - As much as I love the Boston Celtics, I don't see a Phil Jackson team being denied back to back championships. The subtraction of Trevor Ariza won't hurt the Lakers as much as some might feel. You can say a lot of negative things about Ron Artest but one thing you can't say is that he is not a team player and he does not desperately wants to win a chip.
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East Coast PreviewBy Ron Campbell 10/13/2009
The NBA season starts in 14 days and its time for me to tell you exactly how the east will finish come April. The East will be a three team race, just like last season, between Boston, Cleveland and Orlando. Each of the top teams has made significant moves to improve their rosters and chances at home court advantage. Wednesday we will take a look at the West coast. Letï¿½s get started.
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Week in ReviewBy Harold 10/09/2009
It has been a wild week in Cleveland starting with the altercation outside a downtown night club between pro football thug, wide receiver Braylon Edwards and LeBron James's mild mannered friend Edward Givens. The two apparently got into a verbal argument prior to Braylon Edwards violently assaulting Givens. LeBron was not pleased at all and quickly made a public statement calling Braylon Edwardsï¿½s actions childish.
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A Cleveland Taleï¿½By Marlon Benjamin 10/07/2009
The characters are similar, Shaq is JoJo the Whale, Brady Quinn is Eddie Mush and Grady Sizemore is Jimmy Whispers and the town ï¿½lawï¿½ is no different. When a young brash local tried to put his foot down and lay any claim in this town he was not aware of what he was getting himself into. But he should have been. After all he resided in the town for the previous 4 years.
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Warriors Come Out and PlayBy Marlon Benjamin 10/06/2009
Prior to the start of training camp Stephan Jackson stated that he wanted to be traded. He wants to contend for a championship and knows with the youth movement the Warriors are on, that possibility is not a reality in the near future.
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On the Rise.... the OKC ThunderBy Marlon Benjamin 10/02/2009
The OKC Thunder will look to make big strides this season... from also rans to playoff participants.

Russell Westbrook had just finished another dominant Summer League showing and the murmurs in the stands of Orlando were... this kid can be great. Granted it was JUST summer league but the kid can play. Not just good but in the Deron and Paul convo, watch out.
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NBA Blog: Training Camp = First Day of SchoolBy Marlon Benjamin 9/30/2009
The excitement, trepidation, anticipation of a child's' first day of school is sure to resonate in over 30 cities as the NBA gets back into the swing of things after more than a 3 month layoff. Summer vacation is over and it is time to get back to it. Vince Carter is in Orlando, Zach Randolph is in Memphis & Rasheed Wallace is in Boston. These veterans are no strangers to the training camp routine but even they have to have some butterflies as they meet their new teammates and coaches and as they prepare to adjust to new roles. Rookies Tyreke Evans of Sacramento and Johnny Flynn of Minnesota will be asked to play major roles on their teams this season.
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TOP 10 BY POSITIONBy Ron Campbell 9/29/2009
1. Chris Paul - Paul is the closest thing to Isiah Thomas the league as seen since well Isiah Thomas. CP3 controls a basketball game from the top of the key always making the right play.
2. Deron Williams - Deron was second only to Chris Paul in assists this past season, Williams size advantage over Paul would make some feel that Williams is the superior guard.
3. Tony Parker - With three championships and a finals MVP on his resume it is easy to forget Parker is only 27 years old. Parker posted career highs in scoring 22.2ppg and assists with 6.9ppg.
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DELONTE WEST RIDIN DIRTYBy Ron Campbell 9/21/2009
Delonte West was pulled over and arrested last Thursday for having two handguns and a shotgun in a guitar case. Normally I would go on and on about how stupid he and other professional athletes are who get caught riding dirty, I would probably also compare him to Plaxico Burress and T.I. who are both currently incarcerated for gun possession but not this time.
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Reaction - A.I. to MemphisBy Marlon Benjamin 9/14/2009
On 9 cubed (09/09/09 for those that ainï¿½t up on their trig ...) Allen Iverson announced, via Twitter, he would accept Memphisï¿½s 1 year offer and become a Grizzly. Hardly "breaking" news for a 1st ballot Hall of Famer but significant enough on the NBA off-season landscape.
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NBA Finals PreviewBy Harold 9/11/2009
It is never too early for an NBA Finals preview, not to mention I canï¿½t think of anything else to write about. Only five teams have a real shot at the NBA Championship this year. The defending champion Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, San Antonio Spurs and the Orlando Magic. Any one of these teams can win it, but barring injury, I have to go with another Phil Jackson repeat. Here are my reasons why.
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The 2009 NFL season is upon us. Tom Terrific and Mike Vick are back ï¿½ Plexico Burress and Tony Dungy are gone and Brett Favre does not want to leave. The Super Bowl Champion Pittsburg Steelers return 85% of their team & are coming back to defend their title with 2 Super Bowl MVP WRï¿½s leading the way.more...

Every team in the NBA is facing questions going into the season. I have decided to tackle one question from each team in this two-part blog. Letï¿½s start with the East and Friday we will take a look at West.more...

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AROUND THE NBA
by Ron Campbell 8/27/2009
It looks like Allen Iverson is close to signing with the Memphis Grizzlies. Naturally I don't like this fit for Allen Iverson because OJ Mayo is there. I don't think Iverson will be a bad influence on Mayo as a matter of fact I think the move will only bring the best out of both players. What I do find disappointing is that Allen Iverson won't have a realistic chance of winning a championship. A player of Iverson's caliber should have had his choice of contenders to play with at this stage of his career. I have to go back to Detroit and put the blame on Joe Dumars and Michael Curry. more...

SLICK RICK PITINO
by Marlon Benjamin 8/17/2009
Rick Pitino's lawyer came out earlier last week admitting the Louisville
coach gave one Mrs. Karen Cunigan Sypher (who is now married and soon to
be divorced to the teams Equipment Manager none the less) $3,000.00 to
cover health expenses brought forth by an affair the two engaged in. That
payment is now known as the stimulus allegedly to bank roll an abortion
as the then Ms. Cunigan had become pregnant with a child fathered by
Pitino more...

LARRY BIRD vs. TIM DUNCAN
by Harold 8/14/2009
I recently got into a debate on twitter regarding who was the better player
Larry Bird or Tim Duncan. I personally feel it is not even up for discussion;
Larry Bird was by far the better player. The individual I got into the
discussion with insisted Tim Duncan was the better player. I'm still a little
shell shocked that someone would even question it, in my opinion Larry Bird,
Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan will forever be more...

NBA Rumors
by Ron Campbell 8/12/2009
A banner was flown around southern California warning Reggie Miller to stay away from married women. Apparently Miller coveted his neighbors fiancï¿½, which is not cool not cool at all. Reggie's neighbor said when he confronted Reggie about overtures for his fiancï¿½ Reggie told him that he had friends with guns. Seriously Reggie Miller youï¿½re a gangster now? Who do you think you are OJ Simpson? more...

You Made the Playoffs ï¿½ Now What?
by Marlon Benjamin 8/10/2009
Making the playoffs one year does not guarantee that your team will be in the hunt for an NBA title the following season ï¿½ or any subsequent season for that matter. A lot of NBA fans let their hopes and aspirations get the best of them when it comes to rationally analyzing their favorite teams and players. more...

Five Reasons Rashad Lewis "Inadvertantly" Took a Performance Enhancing Drug ...
By Zoo 8/6/2009
5. He saw Dwight Howard's superman "cape" one day in the Magic locker room and decided to upgrade himself.

4. He was recruited to be Bill Clintons "muscle" during foreign affair trips and thought he was not up to snuff.
3. He needed a pick-me-up after a few subpar performances as told by Karinne Stephans.
2. Received memo from David Ortiz that the eggnog sent last Christmas might be a lil "strong".
1. Was recently pulled over by police in Cambridge, Ma and said enough is enough ... next time its on!!!
The Last Stand - Deciding the Decades Finest
By Ron Campbell 8/3/2009
With the NBAï¿½s 2009-2010 season approaching, it is time to start considering which NBA players dominated the last 10 years and who was the best player of the decade. In the 1980's Magic Johnson and his showtime Lakers ruled the decade with Larry Birdï¿½s Celtics and Isiah Thomasï¿½s Pistons also providing stiff competition. Many will argue that Larry Bird or Magic were the best players in the 1980's but there is no denying Michael Jordan, who owned the 90's winning six NBA championships and 5 MVPï¿½s more...

Around the NBA and the WorldBy Harold 7/31/2009
It has been a very busy NBA summer, some teams got better, some teams got significantly worse and some teams made moves that may appear good, but I will explain why it is bad. I am also going to discuss the Professor Gates case. You know, the Harvard professor that was arrested. Iï¿½m going to break it all down for you.. more...

Rise and Fall of Antoine WalkerBy Ron Campbell 7/30/2009
I am from Boston, Massachusetts and I started following basketball heavily in the late 80's when the reign of Boston's original big three was slowly coming to an end. The Larry Bird I knew was super slow, was riddled with back problems but was still easily one of the best basketball players I was ever privileged enough to watch. more...

Okafor for Chandler ... huh?By Marlon Benjamin 7/29/2009
Talk about a backward lateral move ... At this stage of their careers the only thing these two players
have in common is the fact they are both 26 years oldmore...

Players to WatchBy Ron Campbell 7/27/2009
There are a few guys that I am going to pay close attention to this season, these guys have been on
the cusp of NBA stardom but there are still a few questions that surround these individuals,
letï¿½s take a lookmore...